Kiln system.



J. C. QUINN.

KILN SYSTEM.

APPLICAHON FILED SEPT- 30. 1913.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

3 SHEETS*-SHEET I.

J. C. QUINN.

KILN SYSTEM.

APPucAuou HLED SEN-30.1913- 1,197,664. Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1. C. QUINN.

KILN SYSTEM.

APPLICATION flLED-SEPT-30 1913.

1,197,664. PatentedSept. 12,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR.

A TRNE Y.

m: owns Panes no. wnsnww 1 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. QUINN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

KILN SYSTEM.

Application filed September 30, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN C. QUINN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented the following described Improvements in Kiln Systems.

The object of the invention is to provide a kiln system of simple form adapted to increase the efficiency of brick manufacturing processes. To this end the ash-pits of two or more kilns or sets of kilns are connected by a common duct through which heated air or gas may be drawn from one kiln, to be cooled, and forced into another, in which bricks are to be dried or Water-smoked, or through which fresh air or combustion gases may be forced to either kiln or set of kilns, according as conditions may warrant. The combination of a furnace adapted to supply its products of combustion to the duct, an air inlet, and valve mechanism permitting various connections between the several instrumentalities, enable the foregoing and other objects to be accomplished with economy of time and fuel, and with improvement of the product.

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing two sets of kilns with their draft connections and common single duct; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale. partially in vertical section and partially in elevation, showing the blower. the furnace associated therewith, and the independent air inlet; Fig. 4 is a. plan view. partially broken away and in section. corresponding to Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the same looking at the front of the furnace: Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of one of the kilns. taken in vertical section transversely to the longitudinal duct; and Fig. 7 is a frag mentary plan section of one of the kilns.

The two or more kilns, or sets of kilns, 10, connected by a single underground duct 11. may be arranged in line, with the duct ex tending longitudinally of the series. A blower 12. driven by a motor 13, is interposed in the duct between the sets of kilns, and, as more particularly described herein after, is adapted to draw air or gas either from the air inlet or the furnace or both, or from either set of kilns by way of the fire-places thereof, and force such air or gas beneath the grates of the other set. where it may serve either to water-smoke the con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 792,568.

tents of the latter or to force or control the combustion in the tire-places of such kilns. The sections of the duct. on opposite sides of the blower. decrease in cross-section or depth as indicated.

Each kiln has a floor and a series of fireplaces with grates 15 in the usual arrangement, and may be provided with permanent walls 16. The stack 17 may, of course, be set up in the usual manner. The duct 11 extends longitudinally and approximately centrally between the opposite fire-places of each kiln, being connected to the several ash-pits 18 thereby by means of branch ducts or openings 19 controlled by dampers 20, which are adjusted by rods 21 extending through the ash-pit doors 22. Between the inner ends of the grates in each arch, I

provide a separate narrower grate 28 with dead plates 23 on either side thereof, as indicated in Fig. 7. The space underneath each of these auxiliary central grates is isolated from the ash pits of the grates 15 by means of a partition 15 (Fig. 6) and is adapted to be connected with the common duct 11 by means of a butterfly valve 14. or equivalent controlled from the exterior of the kiln by the damper rod 14 there being one such damper for each arch of the kiln. Fuel is supplied to the grates through the feed door openings 24, the construction of which will be more particularly described below. The blower or draft producing means is situated between the sets of kilns as above stated and over, or adjacent to, the duct 11 and the direction of gas movement it produces in the duct is controlled by a swinging valve 26, cooperating with opposing valve seats 27 (Fig. 5) and capable of operation by means of its shaft 31 and handle 32, or otherwise. This valve directs the effluent of the blower into one section or other of the duct, or both, according to the position in which it is set; while slide valves 28 operating in lateral extensions of the duct 11 enable either portion thereof to be connected with or cut off from the intake chamber 3-1 of the blower. Thus it will be apparent that by setting the valve 26 to discharge into one section of the duct, and by closing the intake valve 28 pertaining to that section and opening the other of these valves, for example as indicated in Fig. 5. the draft may be drawn from one set of kilns and forced into the ash-pits of the other set, and that by reversing the condition of the valves, the flow from kiln to kiln may be reversed as will be apparent.

The valves 28, which may assume a variety of forms, are herein indicated as sliding shut off valves counterweighted by chains and weights 29 trained over pulleys 30, by which arrangement, as will be evident, the degree of their opening may be varied to suit retpiirements. It will be noted that the operating handle 32 of valve 26 extends from its underground valve shaft 31 to a nvvnient position above ground, as Silt) u in Fig. 5. so that it will be readily adjusted by the attendant.

The furnace 3?) which is adapted to supply its products of combustion to the duct, as above stated, is preferably placed in line with the intake chamber 34, with which it may communicate through an opening at the back, which communication is controlled by a valve 35, a slide valve for instance, similar to the valves 28, and operated by a chain and Windlass 36, 37, the latch pawl 38 permitting it to be held at any degree of opening desired. Outside air is admitted to the duct through an inlet opening 39 at the top of the intake chamber 34, which inlet is controlled by a horizontal slide valve 40. If the heat derived from the cooling kilns should be too intense for the green brick in the other kilns, it may be moderated by opening the inlet 39 to the requisite degree; and on the other hand this heat may be supplemented, if desirable, by establishing a fire in the furnace and opening the valve to a suitable extent, so that the blower draws in its hot products of combustion. Or the furnace 33 instead of a kiln, may supply all the heat for water-smoking, both valves 28 in such case being closed, so that the intake of the blower is cut off from the kilns; in this case the hot combustion gases can be sent to all the kilns in the system by setting the valve 26 to an intermediate position, if such operation is desired. For the subse quent high-tiring of the bricks, fires are set on the grates 15 in the kilns, and forced draft is supplied through the duct by the blower. This draft may be forced through either section of the duct, according to the setting of the valve 26, and may be drawn entirely from the inlet 39, the valves 28 and 35 being closed, or entirely from the furnace, the air inlet being closed and the valve 85 open. Preferably, however, air and products of combustion are supplied simultaneously, in relative proportions dependent upon the degree of opening of the valves 40 and 35, the presence of products of combustion in the forced draft supplied to the ash-pits of the kilns being fired, having the desirable effect of lengthening the flames and distributing the heat arising from the grates thereof. By pushing the fuel from the grates 15 onto the intermediate grate 23, combustion may be established thereon and accurately controlled by regulating the amount of forced draft admitted to the space beneath the same by means of the valve 14, and it is possible in this manner to adjust the temperature in different parts of the stack to a substantial uniformity and particularly to bring the center of the stack up to the temperature of the heads and quarters. The operation of burning is thus simplified and it is not necessary to overheat the heads and quarters in order to reach the middle, thereby shortening the time required for the burn besides preventing the ordinary waste of brick in the front section of the arches as the result of overheating at those points. It will be evident that various equivalent means of separately controlling the combustion beneath the middle of the stack and the combustion under the heads are likewise within the purpose of the present invention, and also that air can be drawn from one kiln, to be cooled and used as a heated forced draft for the fires of the other kiln or kilns in process of burning.

The fuel-feed openings 24, above referred to, are elongated passages having converging sides, so that such openings taper toward the center line of their respective arches, their inner ends being narrower than the grates and therefore set inwardly from the inner faces of the arches, so that air entering such feed openings will be directed toward the center of the arch and away from the bricks forming the arches. This disposition of the feed openings is of special benefit in that it avoids chilling and ultimate cracking of the arch bricks, when cross-firing, by which I mean the operation'of drawing the draft toward one head end or the other of the arch as is sometimes necessary. Such control is effected by regulating the dampers 20 at opposite sides of the duct 11, so as to unbalance the amounts of forced draft supplied to the opposite ends or sides of the stack. and by partly opening the doors 25 at one end of the arches to admit outside air above the fuel, (see Fig. 7).

1. The combination with two or more kilns provided with suitable fire-places, of a common duct connected with the fire-places of said kilns, and means connected with an intermediate portion of said duct for producing a flow reversible in direction through the same from one kiln to the other.

2. The combination with two or more kilns provided with suitable fire-places, of a duct connected with the fire-places of said kilns, a blower interposed in said duct between the kilns to withdraw gas from one of the kilns and force it through the other, and valves adapted to direct the flow alternately in opposite directions through said duct according to their setting.

3. The combinatiOll of two or more kilns provided with suitable fireplaces and having a common duct connected with its fireplaces and adapted for both inflow and outflow, reversible draft-creating means interposed between said kilns, and means for admitting outside air to the reversible current thus caused to flow through said ducts from one kiln to another.

4. The combination of two kilns, a duct connecting the same, a blower connected in the duct, valve provisions for reversing the direction of blower-impelled flow through said duct from one kiln to another, and a separate source of heat connectible with the duct.

5. The combination of two or more kilns, a duct connecting the same, a blower connected in said duct, valve provisions for reversing the direction of flow through said duct from one kiln to another, a separate source of heat connectible with the duct, and means for admitting outside air to the duct.

6. The combination of two or more kilns having suitable fire-places, a duct connecting the fire-places of said kilns, and a blower interposed in said duct to withdraw heated fluid from one kiln and force the same into another, together with a furnace adapted to supply combustion products to said duct to be carried to the fire-places.

7. The combination .of two or more kilns having suitable fire-places, a common duct connecting the fire-places of said kilns, and a blower interposed in said duct to withdraw heated fluid from one kiln and force the same into another, together with means for admitting air to said duct.

8. The combination of two or more kilns having suitable fire-places, a duct adapted to connect the fire-places of said kilns, and a blower interposed in said duct to withdraw heated fluid from one kiln and force the same into another, together with a furnace adapted to supply its products to said duct to be carried to the fire-places, and a separate valved inlet for admitting air to the duct.

9. The combination of two or more kilns provided with suitable fire-places and having a duct section connected with its fireplaces for leading draft either to or from the same, and a blower having its intake and discharge interchangeably connectible with said sections so as to draw heated fluid from one and force it into another, together with a furnace, and means for variably connect ing the inlet of the blower with the duct sections and with the furnace.

10. The combination of two or more kilns provided with suitable fire-places and each having a duct section connected with its fire-places for leading draft either to or from the same, a blower interposed between said sections, means enabling the intake and discharge of said blower to be interchangeably connected with said duct sections so as to withdraw heated fluid from one and force it into another, and also enabling the kiln thus cooled to be cut off from said intake, a furnace adapted to supply combustion products to be carried through the duct which is connected with the discharge of the blower, and an independent valved air inlet for admitting air to said duct.

11. The combination with a kiln having several fire-places, a single duct connected with the latter, and a blower connected with the duct, of a furnace adapted to supply its products of combustion to said duct to be carried to the fire-places, and an independent valved air inlet for admixing air with such products.

12. The combination with a kiln having suitable fire-places, a duct connected with the latter, and a blower connected with the duct, of a furnace adapted to supply its products of combustion to said duct to be carried to the fire-places, an independent air inlet, and means for varying the proportions of air and products of combustion supplied to the duct.

13. The combination with a kiln having suitable fire-places, of a duct connected therewith, a blower, and a valve mechanism adapted to connect the intake and discharge if said blower interchangeably with said uct.

14. A brick kiln having the inwardly tapered fuel-feed openings 24 having their inner ends narrower than the grates and disposed at the ends of the kiln arches, as and for the purpose set forth.

15. A brick kiln having two series of grates within the kiln arches, fuel-feed openings leading thereto and comprising elongated passages the sides of which converge to their inner ends which are narrower than the arches, adjustable closures for said fuelfeed openings, and means for supplying forced draft in relatively varied prportions to the grates of the two series.

16. A brick-kiln built with arches and grate surfaces at each end of such arches, an intermediate grate surface, individual ashpit spaces for each of said end and intermediate grate surfaces, and draft forcing means connected to each such space and provided with means for relatively varying the draft supplied to each of them.

17. A brick kiln having three series of grates, two at opposite ends of kiln arches, and one in the center of arch, ash-pits beneath such grates, a central duct extending beneath the intermediate ash-pit and between the two series of ash'pits and connected with the latter by branch openings, and dampers for controlling the communication between the said duct and the several ash-pits above and at opposite sides thereof.

A br ck l sy tem wx pri a ki n haying g-iirtes et the centers sindends of its kiln c ic es an se. erete ash-pit Spa s or Said grates, in comgination with a duct havvalve-controlled branch passages to each of such spaces and 'rneeps for directing forced draft into such duct,

' 19-. A brick k ln system emizr s g k h eving ra es at" the ends of its arc e i h interrrie iat e narrow grates at the centers of the arches, and, separate eshpit spaces for ?h g. e mbina on w h a central duct corninon to all of Such spaces, and having breat p ssa es/ ah of th f d d id al e e f ach Su h ga sa P- erated from the exterior of the k ln.

' 20. A brick kiln system comprising two or 992. M thi p s-a my 29 we r more kilns each heving en i. and intermediate grates in the kiln arches thereof,

an sep eefi nd nd rm d fi -Pi spaces beneath snch grates, in combination With a common to all such spaces and to both of the kilns, and means for reversibly directing the draft current in such duct from the ash-pit spaces of one kiln to those of the other.

In testiniony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN C. QUINN.

Witnesses:

G. A. TAYLOR, K. L. GRAN'IZ.

five gents each, by addyessing the Commissioner of ZatentI, Washington, D. G. 

